Board of Governors Meeting - 05.05.2003

NCSJ Board of Governors Meeting
Monday, May 5, 2003
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Ron Sachs/CNP

Keynote Speaker: The Honorable  A. Elizabeth Jones Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Luncheon 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Read full text of speech

Morning Presentations

OSCE International Conference on Anti-Semitism
John Becker and Stuart Jones, U.S. Department of State

NCSJ Update
Mark Levin, Executive Director, NCSJ

Building International & Interfaith Bridges
Alexander Mashkevich, President, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress

Community Partnerships in FSU
Mahnaz Harrison & Michael Steiner, United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh

Israel 55
Jeanne Ellinport, Executive Director, The Israel Forever Foundation

With updates on:

FSU Post-Iraq
Outreach to Central Asia and Caucasus
Jackson-Vanik

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NCSJ Board of Governors Meeting 
Monday, May 5, 2003
Washington, D.C.

Over 100 diplomats, policymakers and community leaders attended NCSJ’s May 5 Board of Governors meeting for updates on U.S. policy toward the successor states, community partnerships, and June 2003 Vienna Conference on Anti-Semitism. Diplomats from 18 countries attended, including the ambassadors of Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russian and Uzbekistan, and the Chargé d’Affaires of Belarus.

The Honorable A. Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, delivered the keynote speech. Dr. Robert Meth, NCSJ Chairman, and Dr. Joel Schindler, NCSJ President, chaired the meeting. Other speakers included the State Department’s John Becker, Advisor to the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, and Stuart Jones, Deputy Director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs; Alexander Mashkevich, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), and Michael Chlenov, EAJC Secretary General; Mahnaz Harrison and Michael Steiner, of the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh (UJF); and Jeanne Ellinport, Executive Director of “Israel 55”. 

OSCE VIENNA CONFERENCE

John Becker and Stuart Jones discussed the upcoming Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) International Conference on Anti-Semitism, the first high-level effort by European and North American governments to address the rise in global anti-Semitism in a sustained and coordinated way. (See Vienna story)

Dr. Meth remarked: “This should be a proud moment for all OSCE participating states, especially the United States and the new democracies of central and eastern Europe. We also appreciate the leadership of the Chairman-in-Office. . .the Netherlands.” Dr. Schindler recognized the help of Bulgaria, incoming Chairman-in-Office for 2004, as well as Latvia and other countries.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Alexander Mashkevich, who was instrumental in organizing the February 2003 International Conference on Peace and Harmony in Kazakhstan, detailed recent EAJC projects, and Mikhail Chlenov provided the historical context to the EAJC, which is working to promote Jewish welfare and positive interethnic relations in Eastern Europe and Asia. Mahnaz Harrison and Michael Steiner described Pittsburgh’s community projects in several successor states, highlighting the relationship with Georgia they are now developing in coordination with NCSJ. (See Pittsburgh story) Mr. Steiner thanked NCSJ for its help with projects in Russia, Estonia, and Uzbekistan. 

Jeanne Ellinport described the “Israel 55” campaign, which will culminate in an anniversary event in December. 

SECRETARY JONES

Secretary Jones covered a range of issues underpinning U.S. policy in Europe and Eurasia, including the promotion of tolerance, political reform, free markets, and outreach on law enforcement, corruption, and secure borders. She recalled, “NCSJ and the State Department enjoy a long history of working together toward common goals. In the 1970s and ’80s, NCSJ worked – with incredible success – for free emigration from the former Soviet Union. Now NCSJ is in the forefront of the religious and cultural revival of Jewish communities in Eurasia.” 

Secretary Jones reiterated the Administration’s commitment to graduating Russia and the other affected states from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment and its continued vigilance to human rights and religious freedom in the region. 

Speaking of the upcoming Vienna Conference, she said “the U.S. hopes to field a strong delegation to this event because we take it very seriously. The OSCE meeting should be a rallying point in the Euro-Atlantic Community's approach to this species of hatred. “


See highlights from past Board of Governors Meetings:

October 1998 March 1999 June 1999 November 1999

December 2000 April 2001 October 2001 December 2002